9/11 museum’s entrance fee irks upstate senator

It didn’t take long for Sen. Joseph A. Griffo, R-Rome, (on right here) to react to the announced $24 charge to tour the new Sept. 11 Memorial museum in Manhattan.
On Friday he complained about the price and suggested a federal program to cover costs.
“I believe it’s important that everyone who wants to see the museum have an opportunity to do so,” Griffo said.
He doesn’t say what he considers a more tolerable ticket price (perhaps the $9.50 charged by the International Boxing Hall of Fame near Griffo’s district). He criticized the 9/11 museum trustees for not paring their annual budget of $63 million instead of charging an “exhorbitant” fee.
Griffo said lots of national monuments and museums are free and that should be the case with the 9/11 museum.
“I’d like to see the federal government step up, do what’s right and help defray the cost of making admission free,” said Griffo. “It’s the least they can do to preserve such an important part of our history.”
He listed the places you could go for no charge or little, including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument and various battlefields, which happen to be outdoors.
The 9/11 museum, set to debut in May, will open free on Tuesday evenings and discounts will be extended to children, seniors and school groups.